Background

The inquiry will speak to agencies, experts, victims and their families, as well as drawing together the range of reports published on specific cases and the broader issue of child sexual exploitation. Where possible, evidence will be heard in public. The inquiry will then report back with recommendations on how agencies can work better together to respond effectively to the issue.

How do we better protect our young people?

Ann Coffey is asking local people to talk to her about what needs to be done to help communities, the police and other services to better protect our young people:

In Greater Manchester, we have all been horrified by the sexual exploitation of young girls in our community by groups of men.

I have been asked by Tony Lloyd, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester, to look into what changes the police and other services have made to better protect children throughout Greater Manchester since the Rochdale victims first came forward and at what more needs to be done.

One of the key concerns from victims and their families was that they felt that they were not listened to and were not taken seriously.

I am interested in hearing from Greater Manchester victims, their families, young people, schools, faith and church groups and the wider community about what you think needs to be done to help communities, the police and other services to better protect our young people.

Please write to me at coffeya@parliament.uk or by letter to Ann Coffey MP, House of Commons, Westminster SW1A OAA.

Yours Faithfully, Ann Coffey MP for Stockport and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Runaway and Missing Children and Adults

Terms of reference for the inquiry

Ms Coffey describes the Terms of Reference of her inquiry:

“This inquiry will focus on what changes have been made in safeguarding children from sexual exploitation by Greater Manchester Police and partner agencies since the Rochdale sexual grooming case and at what more needs to be done in the future.

“One of the key issues in the Rochdale case was the failure of police and partner agencies to listen properly to young victims and their families and to adequately respond to them.

“It is clear that victims in Rochdale and elsewhere were not identified or taken seriously because of negative and discriminatory attitudes of the police and other partner agencies towards them. Their behaviour was seen as a life style choice and because of that they were not seen as vulnerable children and were not given the protection they should have expected from organisations with a responsibility to safeguard them.

“I will be focusing on how far these attitudes and cultures within organisations have changed and at what barriers still remain to be overcome. How much better are the police and other agencies at identifying risk of child sexual exploitation at an early stage and preventing harm coming to children, particularly when they runaway or go missing?

“The police and other agencies cannot protect children without the support of the wider community so I want to explore how we can engage communities in the fight against CSE in Greater Manchester.

“What has changed in terms of involving schools in informing young people about the risk of child sexual exploitation and educating boys to understand issues of consent?

“I want to hear from victims, their families and the public and will be consulting widely and I would like people to contact me and let me know their views. I want to know what motivates the offenders and brings groups together to exploit children.

“At the end I would like to have recommendations that build on what we have learnt from the past and will improve awareness and understanding of CSE across Greater Manchester.”